- Snapchat launched the App Power Pack, integrating new ad formats, bidding tools, and reporting for app marketers.
- Sponsored Snaps in Chat offer incremental reach, driving an 18% lift in conversions.
- tCPA bidding provides more control over acquisition costs.
- App End Cards and Playables enrich engagement by previewing and testing apps before download.
- Expanded measurement tools support both SKAN and non-SKAN campaigns, improving ROI tracking.
Advertisers gain end-to-end tools for installs, purchases, and stronger campaign ROI.
Snapchat has announced the launch of its App Power Pack, a new suite of ad formats, optimization tools, and reporting features designed to strengthen its role in app performance marketing. The initiative reflects Snapchat’s growing ambition to compete directly with Meta, TikTok, and Google in helping advertisers drive measurable installs, purchases, and engagement across both iOS and Android.
The App Power Pack is not a standalone product but an integrated upgrade to Snapchat’s advertising system. It introduces solutions built for both SKAdNetwork (SKAN) campaigns, which adhere to Apple’s privacy framework, and non-SKAN campaigns, ensuring that brands can continue to track performance while adapting to evolving data restrictions.
According to Snapchat, early adopters of the tools have already reported a 25% lift in installs, signaling the platform’s intention to position itself as more than just a branding channel.
Sponsored Snaps: Expanding Into Chat
Among the most notable additions is the introduction of Sponsored Snaps, which place app ads directly into Snapchat’s Chat inbox. This marks a strategic shift, as Chat is the app’s most frequently used surface and historically reserved for personal conversations.
By extending ad placements here, Snapchat is betting on incremental reach and higher responsiveness from users who engage daily with this space. The company reports that Sponsored Snaps have already driven an 18% lift in unique converters, a signal that inbox inventory could become a key driver of app monetization.
Smarter Bidding and Campaign Control
Alongside new ad placements, Snapchat is refining the mechanics of campaign delivery through Target Cost-Per-Acquisition (tCPA) bidding. This option allows advertisers to define a target acquisition cost while the system dynamically optimizes delivery in real time. For app marketers working with constrained budgets, this promises more predictable outcomes and greater efficiency.
Enhancing Discovery Through End Cards and Playables
Snap is also addressing a long-standing gap in app marketing: giving users more context before they click. App End Cards now attach automatically to Snap Ads and Story Ads, pulling assets directly from the App Store to present a more detailed app preview. This helps reduce friction in the conversion journey by offering users a glimpse of the app before download.
Meanwhile, Snapchat is testing Playables — interactive mini game experiences — allowing users to try a version of an app directly within the platform. Still in alpha for non-SKAN campaigns, Playables are designed to boost engagement by moving beyond static previews into hands-on interaction, a format that has proven powerful in gaming and entertainment sectors.
Measurement and Attribution Gains
For non-SKAN advertisers, Snapchat is introducing App Acquisition Conversion Metrics and Snapchat Outcomes, enabling clearer reporting of post-install actions such as purchases and in-app engagement. Together, these tools bring more transparency to ROI measurement, a persistent challenge in mobile advertising since Apple’s ATT framework reshaped data access.
Strategic Implications for Marketers
Snapchat’s App Power Pack reflects a broader evolution in its advertising strategy. Once primarily a brand storytelling platform, Snap is now leaning aggressively into performance marketing, offering advertisers across verticals — from gaming to finance to retail — tools that connect ad spend directly to business outcomes.
The emphasis on measurement, optimization, and interactive formats suggests Snapchat is preparing to compete head-to-head with TikTok’s growing commerce and app install ecosystem.
By unifying creative innovation with data-driven optimization, Snap is positioning itself as a platform capable of delivering full-funnel results: from awareness and engagement to conversions and lifetime value.
A Reinforced Value Proposition
The App Power Pack underscores Snapchat’s commitment to deepening its value proposition in the highly competitive app advertising market. With features like Sponsored Snaps in Chat, interactive Playables, and smarter attribution tools, Snap is signaling that its future lies not only in cultural relevance but also in driving measurable business performance.
